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OT--Safer car for baby??
Hey ladies, this is a little off the topic, but i know alot of us post & read things in this forum.
Im thinking of getting a new car...preferably something bigger than my VW Jetta lol. Babys carseat fits fine and im a good driver, but i know if i get hit hard, my jetta wont withstand the damage and we could be hurt or killed. Not sure if an SUV or a bigger sedan was better. We have a 2009 explorer but it eats gas like crazy. I work in a different city than where i live, its about a 25 minute drive one way...SUVs kinda suck with gas, but they are safer. The bigger sedans are better on gas, but arent as safe as an SUV. But i am sure there are really safe sedan. Anyone have any ideas on safe cars??
My jetta was making a weird noise, so my hubby took it in...they said its going to cost $1900. I feel thats a rip off tho. They said it needs new spark plugs, spark wires, brakes & a fuel flush. I called my dad and he said he just replaced the spark plugs and the spark wires and the brakes and fuel flush he can change himself. Its like the dealer checked the car for everything except what was really wrong with it! UUGGHH! Do dealers always rip people off?
Im thinking of getting a new car...preferably something bigger than my VW Jetta lol. Babys carseat fits fine and im a good driver, but i know if i get hit hard, my jetta wont withstand the damage and we could be hurt or killed. Not sure if an SUV or a bigger sedan was better. We have a 2009 explorer but it eats gas like crazy. I work in a different city than where i live, its about a 25 minute drive one way...SUVs kinda suck with gas, but they are safer. The bigger sedans are better on gas, but arent as safe as an SUV. But i am sure there are really safe sedan. Anyone have any ideas on safe cars??
My jetta was making a weird noise, so my hubby took it in...they said its going to cost $1900. I feel thats a rip off tho. They said it needs new spark plugs, spark wires, brakes & a fuel flush. I called my dad and he said he just replaced the spark plugs and the spark wires and the brakes and fuel flush he can change himself. Its like the dealer checked the car for everything except what was really wrong with it! UUGGHH! Do dealers always rip people off?
I would recommend a Toyota or Honda. Nissans are nice, I have one myself, but they cost more for repairs and all of that and don't last as long as the other two car makers(just look out on the road to see what old cars are still running). My friend has been driving her Toyota for 8 years and has had no problems at all with it. My fiance has had his Honda for 10 years and still going strong. I've had my Nissan Maxima for 5 years and had to have at least one costly repair and a few other maintenance problems. Also, maybe look for another car repair shop. I never take my car to the dealership because they charge more and I found a mechanic I trust. Ask around to friends and neighbors to see who they use. I use the same mechanic as my cousin and the guy is great, checks things for free and will look for the best way to fix the car at a cheap price.
Thanks for all the input ladies! (:
I think im gonna go with a bigger sedan instead of an SUV since we already have one. My Jetta will be paid off in 2 months so im pretty excited about that! So we will probably keep my little car and buy a new one soon! The mechanic called my husband yesterday evening and said its gonna be $848 and $527 or that is going to labor fees! UGH! They are most likely charging me for extra hours to fix something that they can fix in a couple hours. Its such a dishonest business and i wish i knew a good mechanic that was honest and trustworthy.
I think im gonna go with a bigger sedan instead of an SUV since we already have one. My Jetta will be paid off in 2 months so im pretty excited about that! So we will probably keep my little car and buy a new one soon! The mechanic called my husband yesterday evening and said its gonna be $848 and $527 or that is going to labor fees! UGH! They are most likely charging me for extra hours to fix something that they can fix in a couple hours. Its such a dishonest business and i wish i knew a good mechanic that was honest and trustworthy.
I am a big fan of toyotas... my family has always had toyotas and they are great on gas and have a great life spam... i got my yaris in dec 2007 its an 08 and it didnt need a new battery until fall '10, never did anything to it other than oil changes and the normal maintenance... they are also cheaper than hondas, even though my yaris is really small (hatchback) and unconfortable for the carseat, i get 25-29 miles a gallon and i really cant afford much more right now... when we do decide its time for a bigger car i will def go with a toyota sienna!!
Go for an early 2000 to 2007 dodge grand caravan. Good mpg safety conscious in the design not terribly costly. I drive a 96 suburban mpg not the greatest but it has been hit by many cars and not damaged it. Its a tank!!
I have a 2006 chevy uplander and I have to admit I love the van so far we also have a Hyundai sante fe its an 2008 I believe and its good on gas and has every safety feature imaginable the only thing is when we have the new baby it wont fit us all but right now it fits me dh and our three kids nicely
I would suggest researching the international institute of highway safety (or whatever its called) and checking out their annual crash test reports. Also check insurance quotes on several vehicles you are considering. Chances are the cheaper the insurance, the safer the car. I drive an 01 chevy suburban, but we have 7 people in our family so we are kind of limited on what we can drive. I get about 13-14 mpg-not great at all but I can't afford a newer vehicle so we just make do.
As for the mechanic. $1900 is absolute highway robbery for the things you listed! OMG! I certainly hope they were including something else that they forgot to mention! OUCH!
As for the mechanic. $1900 is absolute highway robbery for the things you listed! OMG! I certainly hope they were including something else that they forgot to mention! OUCH!
I would go with a Dodge Grande Caravan. They are one of the safest van's on the market. I had a 2007 and was in an accident and was hit from the front drivers side. I was driving and was the only injured. The coolest safety feature is that instead of the engine falling into the lap of the driver it just drops out of the car, which it did in mine. This made my injures a lot less than they could have been. We ended up getting the same year model in a used van to replace it and would recommend it to anyone looking at a bigger vehicle. The gas mileage isn't to bad on it either.
I have an Acura TL I got it brand new back in 2006, it's a 2007 before I had a baby. It is a sedan and I feel it's doing just fine for me and the baby/baby gear and I have never had any problems with feeling safe.... and it rides very smooth. It does really good on gas, but the only kicker is that it only takes premium :( I think I will keep it for a while it's paid off this year and I still have really low milage on it. I was thinking about getting a GMC yukon or turrnaine a while back, but I want to enjoy not having a payment and I am afraid I might hit something in a bigger car. I am not ready for a mom-mobile quite yet haha anyway I cannot see myself driving a van even though I am sure when I have more kids I will change my mind. Before my acura... I had a honda civic and I love hondas too they are very reliable, and economic with the gas prices.
We have a Toyota Sienna and it's awesome...only a few problems here and there, like the alternator belt needing tightening once a year (not too abnormal) and a leak in the seal along the front window so we've had a bit of water leaking..it's great.
As far as American brands go, I don't know much. My dad has a Dodge Dakota (small truck) and I've loved that thing..it's held up through a lot of abuse.
I want a Honda Odyssey so bad as well, Joy, LOL
As far as American brands go, I don't know much. My dad has a Dodge Dakota (small truck) and I've loved that thing..it's held up through a lot of abuse.
I want a Honda Odyssey so bad as well, Joy, LOL
I agree with everyone else, suv's arent safer! They may seem like they are, but nope. Look into Honda. I love my honda, its a great car! Also, Ford is good and Nissan. Good luck (: hope little Mataio is doing good! Hes growing so quick! & he is so handsome!
SUV's aren't safer; they do horrible on safety in crash studies. I would go with Honda; it is one of my favorites! I don't HAVE a Honda but I want one! I want a Honda Odyssey soooooooo bad. There are other great minivans out there as well.
We have a Dodge Grand Caravan (minivan) and it *****. We've had a ton of problems with the A/C, the brakes, the timing belt, etc. Our battery has died and had to be replaced a ton as well.
We have a Dodge Grand Caravan (minivan) and it *****. We've had a ton of problems with the A/C, the brakes, the timing belt, etc. Our battery has died and had to be replaced a ton as well.
The nissan Rogues are nice! I never looked into Nissan...i should tho! My dad just bought a 2011 Nissan Altima and i love it, but definitely cant afford it lol. The hubby suggested the new Ford Escape, but im not crazy about it. I figured i should love the car if im gonna be driving it for years lol.
Honda is not an american car, I think its Japanese, but they are really reliable. I have had a Nissan Rogue for 3 years and it has been great, no problems.
If you want american you are going to have to look into Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Saturn etc....
If you want american you are going to have to look into Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Saturn etc....
Hey girl! I was actually thinking about a Honda! I most likely cant afford a brand spanking new car, so definitely used. && yeah he took it to the VW dealer. $114 just for them to look at it...money down the drain "/ Honda is an american made car right? lol...im tired of foreign cars, you put so much money into them. My dad bought it for me before i got pregnant so it was a good car just for me, but now i gotta think about my little guy and even tho i love my cute jetta, his safety comes first, so im not sad to see it go lol.
Well SUV's aren't necessarily safer...yes the size is a great bonus but there are other considerations for safety with SUVs....honestly, we got a minivan. which is so funny because I never had one growing up and I spent my childhood making fun of them.
But I would recommend something like a Toyota Camry or Avalon...or a Honda Accord.
All three have much higher safety ratings than the Jetta's, which you are right are definitely not ranked high for safety - one model in recent years was in fact ranked lowest among cars of comparable size.
is purchase price a barrier or can you pretty much look at whatever you want? are you thinking new or used?
also - depends on the repair shop. was it the VW dealer, or just a repair shop?
But I would recommend something like a Toyota Camry or Avalon...or a Honda Accord.
All three have much higher safety ratings than the Jetta's, which you are right are definitely not ranked high for safety - one model in recent years was in fact ranked lowest among cars of comparable size.
is purchase price a barrier or can you pretty much look at whatever you want? are you thinking new or used?
also - depends on the repair shop. was it the VW dealer, or just a repair shop?
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